The Central Excise Customs warns that attempting to unlawfully reclaim the recycling fee is a criminal offence. Source: Central Excise Customs (CAT).
Officers blocked an attempt to unlawfully recover the recycling fee on a passenger car previously imported by an individual.
In 2023 the offender imported a Geely Monjaro into the Russian Federation, paying a recycling fee of RUB 300,600. The vehicle had been purchased in an EAEU member state.
Soon afterwards he learned that, following changes to legislation governing recycling-fee payments, an overpaid amount could be refunded if ownership documents were issued before 29 October 2023 and the vehicle safety certificate before 21 December 2023.
To obtain a refund, the man forged a purchase contract by altering its date and applied to the Smolensk excise customs post of CAT for repayment of more than RUB 297,000. Post officials detected the forgery and forwarded the file to law-enforcement authorities for criminal proceedings.
The case reached the Smolensk District Court, where the defendant was convicted under Article 30(3) and Article 159(3) of the Russian Criminal Code (attempted large-scale fraud) and fined RUB 300,000. The sentence has entered into force; the fine was paid in full.